Prior published work has disclosed the production of anti-BMAA antibodies for the neurotoxic amino acid, BMAA. (US patent application US 2011/0223624, Cox et al.)
The present invention provides a highly sensitive assay for BMAA. Assays for BMAA in the environment are useful to detect BMAA in, for example, sources of drinking water, soil extracts, and the tissues of organisms.
The aims of the invention are met by creating an immunogen that preserves the chemical identity of the ionizable acidic group of BMAA, which in turn allows the production of highly sensitive antibody preparations. As a result, one can detect very low levels of BMAA.